Scientists discover there are at least 10 times as many galaxies as previously thought, putting the total number of galaxies at about two trillion.

You need to hear this.PC sales sink for the second year in a row

The PC industry has shrunk for the second consecutive year, according to a new report from Gartner that finds Microsoft's release of Windows 10 has done little to life the ailing industry. "The global PC market shrunk with 5.7% in the third quarter of this year," Myce says. "This was the second consecutive year of PC shipment decline, the longest duration of decline in the history of the PC industry." Where in the third quarter of 2016 68.9 million laptops and desktops were sold, 79.1 million were sold in the third quarter of 2015. But more startlingly, the PC market has shrunk for eight consecutive quarters, putting companies such as Intel in a bind when it comes to corporate strategies. "The PC is not a high priority device for the majority of consumers, so they do not feel the need to upgrade their PCs as often as they used to. Some may never decide to upgrade to a PC again," says Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa. "In emerging markets, PC penetration is low, but consumers are not keen to own PCs. Consumers in emerging markets primarily use smartphones or phablets for their computing needs, and they don’t find the need to use a PC as much as consumers in mature markets." According to Gartner, Lenovo is currently the largest PC manufacturer with a market share of 20.9% and HP is in second with 20.4%.

Hackers switch tactics to spread ransomware to unwitting victims

According to researchers at Symantec, hackers have begun distributing malware through Windows Script Files (WSF), which unlike other file types aren't blocked by email clients. "WSF files are opened by Windows Script Host (WSH) and are designed to allow a variety of scripting languages to mix within a single file," ZDNet says. "What makes files with the .wsf extension appealing to cybercriminals, hackers, and other ransomware pushers is that they're not automatically blocked by some email clients and can be launched like a standard executable file." Symantec says that 22,000 emails with malicious .wsf files were tracked and blocked in June this year. That number went up to two million in July and has steadily increased since then. But one of the more recent campaigns, which claims to have a travel itinerary and flight plan, has seen that number skyrocket with 1.3 million emails tracked and blocked in the first two days of October. "It isn't the first time cybercriminals have attempted to use fake booking confirmations or emails pretending to be from travel companies to trick users into installing ransomware," ZDNet says. "Nonetheless, the shift towards delivering malicious software via WSF files just goes to show that despite ransomware becoming the biggest cybersecurity threat of the year, those distributing the malicious software aren't resting on their laurels and are keen to find as many ways to infect networks as possible."

Obama says AI will be a critical driver of US economy

Computerworld reports, "The White House sees artificial intelligence as an increasingly critical technology that can fight cyberattacks, upgrade weapons of war, improve health care and even unclog traffic for the commute home." Even still, President Obama has also made it clear that he thinks AI will "reduce low-level jobs and create security and ethical issues." In a new report [PDF] titled "Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence," the federal government says it wants to work with private companies and academics to help ensure AI is a positive influence in the future. "Government has several roles to play," the report says. "Developing and studying machine intelligence can help us better understand and appreciate our human intelligence. Used thoughtfully, A.I. can augment our intelligence, helping us chart a better and wiser path forward." The report is accruing interest as President Obama hosts the Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh where academics, government officials, and engineers from private companies are gathering to talk about the future of AI, machine learning, robotics, and space exploration. "According to the National Science and Technology Council," Computerworld says, "AI already is benefiting society, citing as an example that Walter Reed Medical Center uses AI to better predict medical complications and improve combat wound treatment."

But despite the good that AI is doing, government officials have been candid in saying it will likely strip low-level workers of their jobs. Some reports have gone so far as to predict that up to seven million jobs will be lost to AI. "Analysis by the White House Council of Economic Advisors suggests that the negative effect of automation will be greatest on lower-wage jobs, and that there is a risk that A.I.-driven automation will increase the wage gap between less educated and more educated workers, potentially increasing economic inequality," the report says. "Public policy can address these risks, ensuring that workers are retrained and able to succeed in occupations that are complementary to, rather than competing with, automation."

But there's more going on in the world than that.
Verizon says Yahoo breach might be enough to end its acquisition

Verizon today said it consider the massive data breach that Yahoo publicly reported last month amounts to a "material" event that could be enough to stop Verizon from finalizing its acquisition of the ailing internet company. "I think we have a reasonable basis to believe right now that impact is material," Verizon's general counsel Craig Silliman told reporters. "And we’re looking to Yahoo to demonstrate to us the full impact if they believe it’s not. They’ll need to show us that, but the process is in the works." Yahoo has said the breach occurred in 2014, but was only discovered in August of this year. "The Web giant blamed it on 'state-sponsored' hackers," The Washington Post says. "And U.S. officials said privately that the FBI believes that it was the work of Russian government hackers, though no final conclusion has been reached." But despite comments today from Verizon, Yahoo has said it is "confident in Yahoo's value and will continue to work towards integration with Verizon." According to Reuters, "The deal has a clause that says Verizon can withdraw if a new event 'reasonably can be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, assets, properties, results of operation or financial condition of the business.'"

And you can't not know this.
Hubble telescope discover 10 times as many galaxies as previously known

There are at least 10 times as many galaxies in the observable universe, according to a new study in The Astrophysical Journal that puts the total number of galaxies, previously thought to be between 100 and 200 billion, upwards of two trillion. Think about that for a second: two trillion galaxies. That's massive. Seriously, tremendously, big league massive. And the most insane part? That's just the observable universe, i.e. the part of the universe that's existed long enough for us to see (light takes time to travel over massive distances). That means there are likely even more galaxies hiding in the unobservable universe, i.e. those parts that are so far away their light still hasn't reached us yet.

"The surprising discovery is the result of a meticulous galactic survey mined from 15 years’ worth of deep space observations from the Hubble Space Telescope," Motherboard says. " An international team led by University of Nottingham astrophysicist Christopher Conselice compiled the Hubble data into a three-dimensional timeline of galactic evolution over the universe’s history." In a statement, Conselice says "it boggles the mind that over 90% of the galaxies in the universe have yet to be studied." He continues: "Who knows what interesting properties we will find when we observe these galaxies with the next generation of telescopes?"

Follow Snap! to always be in the know. In our last Snap!, we reported on a database breach that puts 58 million people at risk and a deeper examination of IoT security (or the lack thereof).

You know the really freaky part about the far away galaxies? Some of them probably died before we ever saw their light. Most of us will die before we as a species ever see that far out. Makes you wonder what's out there to find.

Personally, I'm not surprised to see PC sales decline. I feel like PCs were the pinnacle of pre-millennial technology. PCs will eventually phase out, just like the home telephone and cable TV did. So many millennials have never had either a cable subscription or a landline, and they see a PC as a virus prone device that does no more than their smartphone does. Children being born right now will grow up having never owned a PC.

And on the topic of AI... I actually agree with Obama here. AI will replace many low-level jobs (fast food, cashiers, customer service, etc.) in the foreseeable future. It's already happening. In some states that have passed the $15 minimum wage hike, fast food restaurants have replaced their cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Thats just the start. Granted, companies are doing this because it's cheaper than increasing their payroll threefold. But the fact is the technology to do it exists. As AI rises, other cost-reducing job-cuts will be made, including preparing and serving the food. Personally, I was never for this $15 minimum wage hike... there's no reason for a 16 year old who thinks "only cheese" means no meat should make more money than a firefighter. But people pushed and pushed and, guess what, you got what you asked for. Minimum wage went up, and your job was replaced by a machine.

People don't buy PCs when their smartphone costs ~$700 and is generally faster and always with them, even on contract the money they pay per month for Facebook and email does the trick vs having to buy a PC that is stationary - me, I'll always have both,

I think AIs will be just as likely to replace high paid workers. C-levels and certain professionals make their living by making decisions based on data. Sounds like a job for an AI to me. We could probably replace half the lawyers with AIs. As for C-levels, feed the AI the MBA syllabus and some case studies and let them run.

Personally, I'm not surprised to see PC sales decline. I feel like PCs were the pinnacle of pre-millennial technology. PCs will eventually phase out, just like the home telephone and cable TV did. So many millennials have never had either a cable subscription or a landline, and they see a PC as a virus prone device that does no more than their smartphone does. Children being born right now will grow up having never owned a PC.

And on the topic of AI... I actually agree with Obama here. AI will replace many low-level jobs (fast food, cashiers, customer service, etc.) in the foreseeable future. It's already happening. In some states that have passed the $15 minimum wage hike, fast food restaurants have replaced their cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Thats just the start. Granted, companies are doing this because it's cheaper than increasing their payroll threefold. But the fact is the technology to do it exists. As AI rises, other cost-reducing job-cuts will be made, including preparing and serving the food. Personally, I was never for this $15 minimum wage hike... there's no reason for a 16 year old who thinks "only cheese" means no meat should make more money than a firefighter. But people pushed and pushed and, guess what, you got what you asked for. Minimum wage went up, and your job was replaced by a machine.

Two quick points: 1) they would technically be making the same, not more (everyone's min goes up)2) statistically speaking most people working fast food are much older often 30+. The idea of the 16 year old burger flipper fighting for 15$/hr is largely a myth.

That being said, if they didn't see their jobs being replaced by machines that could do their job more cost effectively... well there's a reason they're stuck in fast food.

I think the most important issue moving forward here though is... in a time where we scream about unemployment rates rising a percentage point or two, what's going to happen when we replace all low level jobs with AI? This isn't going to suddenly make newer better jobs for the people who are now out of work. What do we do? We're poised right now to put a lot of attorneys, professional drivers (taxis, semis), most of the service industry and some doctors out of work (Watson, the AI on jeopardy? Yeah his day job is being the best doctor in the world, this is already a thing).

What do we do when a mass labor force is simply not necessary? It's kind of scary to me honestly. This isn't far future either, this is like, next 10 years future. Children being born today will probably never need to get a driver's licence, and unless their parent goes out of their way to teach them how to drive, will never learn to drive a car.

People don't buy PCs when their smartphone costs ~$700 and is generally faster and always with them, even on contract the money they pay per month for Facebook and email does the trick vs having to buy a PC that is stationary - me, I'll always have both,

For a lot of people this makes perfect sense.

But I'm going to keep my computer because

a) screen space

b) gaming

c) full keyboard typing speeds. You can have my keyboard when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

But nothing beats the convenience that come with a mobile 'pc' that we effectively carry with us daily.

Yup, and if all you use it for is facebook, emails, photos, videos and instant messaging... why would you even need a full desktop PC? You're barely even need a laptop. Honestly writing up essays for school would be the only need for an actual computer, and there are tablets with keyboards that could do that just fine. Average Joe on the street really doesn't need a PC if they have a halfway decent smartphone.

Personally, I'm not surprised to see PC sales decline. I feel like PCs were the pinnacle of pre-millennial technology. PCs will eventually phase out, just like the home telephone and cable TV did. So many millennials have never had either a cable subscription or a landline, and they see a PC as a virus prone device that does no more than their smartphone does. Children being born right now will grow up having never owned a PC.

And on the topic of AI... I actually agree with Obama here. AI will replace many low-level jobs (fast food, cashiers, customer service, etc.) in the foreseeable future. It's already happening. In some states that have passed the $15 minimum wage hike, fast food restaurants have replaced their cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Thats just the start. Granted, companies are doing this because it's cheaper than increasing their payroll threefold. But the fact is the technology to do it exists. As AI rises, other cost-reducing job-cuts will be made, including preparing and serving the food. Personally, I was never for this $15 minimum wage hike... there's no reason for a 16 year old who thinks "only cheese" means no meat should make more money than a firefighter. But people pushed and pushed and, guess what, you got what you asked for. Minimum wage went up, and your job was replaced by a machine.

Two quick points: 1) they would technically be making the same, not more (everyone's min goes up)2) statistically speaking most people working fast food are much older often 30+. The idea of the 16 year old burger flipper fighting for 15$/hr is largely a myth.

That being said, if they didn't see their jobs being replaced by machines that could do their job more cost effectively... well there's a reason they're stuck in fast food.

I think the most important issue moving forward here though is... in a time where we scream about unemployment rates rising a percentage point or two, what's going to happen when we replace all low level jobs with AI? This isn't going to suddenly make newer better jobs for the people who are now out of work. What do we do? We're poised right now to put a lot of attorneys, professional drivers (taxis, semis), most of the service industry and some doctors out of work (Watson, the AI on jeopardy? Yeah his day job is being the best doctor in the world, this is already a thing).

What do we do when a mass labor force is simply not necessary? It's kind of scary to me honestly. This isn't far future either, this is like, next 10 years future. Children being born today will probably never need to get a driver's licence, and unless their parent goes out of their way to teach them how to drive, will never learn to drive a car.

Ok, yes, if minimum wage goes up, then so does the pay of everyone who currently make less than what it will be, but it's still not balanced right. Fast food workers would then be making the same amount of money as a firefighter, if we are using my example. Again, that isn't right. Companies will increase everyone below $15 per hour to $15 per hour... so, if you are like a firefighter making say $12 per hour right now, and your kid makes $6 per hour, you'll be making the same amount of money after the hike... you won't be making more than your kid anymore. But that's not the point of my post... my point was that the minimum wage hike will entice businesses to replace employees with machines and AI because they can save money by using AI instead of human labor. $6 per hour for a drive-thru worker is affordable right now... but at $15, something big will have to change, and technology will be the answer for these businesses.

I do agree with you, however, that replacing jobs with technology will indeed be a huge catastrophe for the economy. Unemployment rates are going to skyrocket. Hell, even IT jobs will be on the chopping block. Nobody's job will be safe. We are headed into a future where everyone will need advanced electronics in order to interact with the everyday world, but nobody will be able to afford these electronics because they have no jobs.

I also agree with you that self-driving cars are going to be the norm in 16 years, and "learning how to drive" will be a matter of knowing how to program a GPS.

Honestly writing up essays for school would be the only need for an actual computer

I own a Lumia 950 and it supports Miracast, use this with a BT keyboard and I essentially have a full desktop, with the full office suite, so many people would be naïve to this but it wont be long before its available as standard on mobiles, all people will need is a BT keyboard and large screen TV and their away, even less reason for that laptop or tablet.

I am of the opinion the Surface Phone is going to go that extra to merging a laptop/tablet with a smaller version that also has a phone, for this very purpose.

Who in a business that already uses a SP wouldn't want to be able to pick it up and use it as a phone, then later put it on a dock and use the same device on a large screen - it makes perfect sense.

There's not much reason to buy a new PC these days. My 5 year old custom can handle most of what I throw at it including 4k video. Sure I would love to build a new PC if I had the money but other then upgrading to a SSD there's not much reason to abandon my current one yet. There just haven't been any significant advancements in the last several years.

Personally, I'm not surprised to see PC sales decline. I feel like PCs were the pinnacle of pre-millennial technology. PCs will eventually phase out, just like the home telephone and cable TV did. So many millennials have never had either a cable subscription or a landline, and they see a PC as a virus prone device that does no more than their smartphone does. Children being born right now will grow up having never owned a PC.

And on the topic of AI... I actually agree with Obama here. AI will replace many low-level jobs (fast food, cashiers, customer service, etc.) in the foreseeable future. It's already happening. In some states that have passed the $15 minimum wage hike, fast food restaurants have replaced their cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Thats just the start. Granted, companies are doing this because it's cheaper than increasing their payroll threefold. But the fact is the technology to do it exists. As AI rises, other cost-reducing job-cuts will be made, including preparing and serving the food. Personally, I was never for this $15 minimum wage hike... there's no reason for a 16 year old who thinks "only cheese" means no meat should make more money than a firefighter. But people pushed and pushed and, guess what, you got what you asked for. Minimum wage went up, and your job was replaced by a machine.

Two quick points: 1) they would technically be making the same, not more (everyone's min goes up)2) statistically speaking most people working fast food are much older often 30+. The idea of the 16 year old burger flipper fighting for 15$/hr is largely a myth.

That being said, if they didn't see their jobs being replaced by machines that could do their job more cost effectively... well there's a reason they're stuck in fast food.

I think the most important issue moving forward here though is... in a time where we scream about unemployment rates rising a percentage point or two, what's going to happen when we replace all low level jobs with AI? This isn't going to suddenly make newer better jobs for the people who are now out of work. What do we do? We're poised right now to put a lot of attorneys, professional drivers (taxis, semis), most of the service industry and some doctors out of work (Watson, the AI on jeopardy? Yeah his day job is being the best doctor in the world, this is already a thing).

What do we do when a mass labor force is simply not necessary? It's kind of scary to me honestly. This isn't far future either, this is like, next 10 years future. Children being born today will probably never need to get a driver's licence, and unless their parent goes out of their way to teach them how to drive, will never learn to drive a car.

Ok, yes, if minimum wage goes up, then so does the pay of everyone who currently make less than what it will be, but it's still not balanced right. Fast food workers would then be making the same amount of money as a firefighter, if we are using my example. Again, that isn't right. Companies will increase everyone below $15 per hour to $15 per hour... so, if you are like a firefighter making say $12 per hour right now, and your kid makes $6 per hour, you'll be making the same amount of money after the hike... you won't be making more than your kid anymore. But that's not the point of my post... my point was that the minimum wage hike will entice businesses to replace employees with machines and AI because they can save money by using AI instead of human labor. $6 per hour for a drive-thru worker is affordable right now... but at $15, something big will have to change, and technology will be the answer for these businesses.

I do agree with you, however, that replacing jobs with technology will indeed be a huge catastrophe for the economy. Unemployment rates are going to skyrocket. Hell, even IT jobs will be on the chopping block. Nobody's job will be safe. We are headed into a future where everyone will need advanced electronics in order to interact with the everyday world, but nobody will be able to afford these electronics because they have no jobs.

I hate to be "that guy" who nitpicks the little details, but.... min wage nationally is 7.25 so if your kids are making $6 I've got some news about labor laws for you.

That being said, idk if that's really "right" or not. From an economic standpoint it's not, as you can demonstrably show how much someone's given contribution is in a lot of cases, and we see that in replacing their jobs with machines. If you meant morally right then we walk into a really gray area with no easy answers in my opinion. Why shouldn't someone who provides a service that hundreds of people will depend on to start their morning right (thinking Starbucks baristas) not make a wage capable of sustaining a decent life? Maybe not luxurious, but enough that they don't have to sweat bullets between paychecks if they're going to have a place to sleep.

If anything the fundamental issue here is that raw labor is becoming less valuable. Not that anyone is being evil and trying to oppress the masses but labor is demonstrably less valuable then it used to be. It's not an easy reality to face.
Edited Oct 13, 2016 at 11:16 UTC

maybe the reason why people aren't buying new PCs so often is the failing economy... no?Also PCs from recent years, given some extra RAM and an SSD can do what you needed 3 or 4 10-yo computers. The need to upgrade is much lower.

AI will be critical, but it's not all going that fast. They've been talking about AI for so many years now... it's like "this year will be the year of Linux". Broken record... but eventually, sure.I don't believe it will lead to a massive loss of jobs, more like a redistribution of jobs. People are always needed somewhere.

Aaron W (Spiceworks) wrote:

Think about that for a second: two trillion galaxies. That's massive. Seriously, tremendously, big league massive. And the most insane part? That's just the observable universe, i.e. the part of the universe that's existed long enough for us to see (light takes time to travel over massive distances). That means there are likely even more galaxies hiding in the unobservable universe, i.e. those parts that are so far away their light still hasn't reached us yet.

The light that hasn't reached us yet, will never reach us and light that we still see today won't be observable tomorrow. The edges of the observable universe are moving away so fast that even the speed of light can't keep up with it.

Verizon today said it consider the massive data breach that Yahoo publicly reported last month amounts to a "material" event that could be enough to stop Verizon from finalizing its acquisition of the ailing internet company.

Personally, I'm not surprised to see PC sales decline. I feel like PCs were the pinnacle of pre-millennial technology. PCs will eventually phase out, just like the home telephone and cable TV did. So many millennials have never had either a cable subscription or a landline, and they see a PC as a virus prone device that does no more than their smartphone does. Children being born right now will grow up having never owned a PC.

And on the topic of AI... I actually agree with Obama here. AI will replace many low-level jobs (fast food, cashiers, customer service, etc.) in the foreseeable future. It's already happening. In some states that have passed the $15 minimum wage hike, fast food restaurants have replaced their cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Thats just the start. Granted, companies are doing this because it's cheaper than increasing their payroll threefold. But the fact is the technology to do it exists. As AI rises, other cost-reducing job-cuts will be made, including preparing and serving the food. Personally, I was never for this $15 minimum wage hike... there's no reason for a 16 year old who thinks "only cheese" means no meat should make more money than a firefighter. But people pushed and pushed and, guess what, you got what you asked for. Minimum wage went up, and your job was replaced by a machine.

Two quick points: 1) they would technically be making the same, not more (everyone's min goes up)2) statistically speaking most people working fast food are much older often 30+. The idea of the 16 year old burger flipper fighting for 15$/hr is largely a myth.

That being said, if they didn't see their jobs being replaced by machines that could do their job more cost effectively... well there's a reason they're stuck in fast food.

I think the most important issue moving forward here though is... in a time where we scream about unemployment rates rising a percentage point or two, what's going to happen when we replace all low level jobs with AI? This isn't going to suddenly make newer better jobs for the people who are now out of work. What do we do? We're poised right now to put a lot of attorneys, professional drivers (taxis, semis), most of the service industry and some doctors out of work (Watson, the AI on jeopardy? Yeah his day job is being the best doctor in the world, this is already a thing).

What do we do when a mass labor force is simply not necessary? It's kind of scary to me honestly. This isn't far future either, this is like, next 10 years future. Children being born today will probably never need to get a driver's licence, and unless their parent goes out of their way to teach them how to drive, will never learn to drive a car.

Ok, yes, if minimum wage goes up, then so does the pay of everyone who currently make less than what it will be, but it's still not balanced right. Fast food workers would then be making the same amount of money as a firefighter, if we are using my example. Again, that isn't right. Companies will increase everyone below $15 per hour to $15 per hour... so, if you are like a firefighter making say $12 per hour right now, and your kid makes $6 per hour, you'll be making the same amount of money after the hike... you won't be making more than your kid anymore. But that's not the point of my post... my point was that the minimum wage hike will entice businesses to replace employees with machines and AI because they can save money by using AI instead of human labor. $6 per hour for a drive-thru worker is affordable right now... but at $15, something big will have to change, and technology will be the answer for these businesses.

I do agree with you, however, that replacing jobs with technology will indeed be a huge catastrophe for the economy. Unemployment rates are going to skyrocket. Hell, even IT jobs will be on the chopping block. Nobody's job will be safe. We are headed into a future where everyone will need advanced electronics in order to interact with the everyday world, but nobody will be able to afford these electronics because they have no jobs.

I hate to be "that guy" who nitpicks the little details, but.... min wage nationally is 7.25 so if your kids are making $6 I've got some news about labor laws for you.

That being said, idk if that's really "right" or not. From an economic standpoint it's not, as you can demonstrably show how much someone's given contribution is in a lot of cases, and we see that in replacing their jobs with machines. If you meant morally right then we walk into a really gray area with no easy answers in my opinion. Why shouldn't someone who provides a service that hundreds of people will depend on to start their morning right (thinking Starbucks baristas) not make a wage capable of sustaining a decent life? Maybe not luxurious, but enough that they don't have to sweat bullets between paychecks if they're going to have a place to sleep.

If anything the fundamental issue here is that raw labor is becoming less valuable. Not that anyone is being evil and trying to oppress the masses but labor is demonstrably less valuable then it used to be. It's not an easy reality to face.

I just want to add to Shunt00213's argument here. We've been through this before and not everybody recognizes the fundamental similarities. This happened during the Industrial Revolution (even worse in Britain as some areas had as high as 75% unemployment). But you know what, everything bounced back after a while because while technology takes over, other jobs are created -- now you need more hardware and software developers as well as maintenance staff and sysadmins. The people and the economy will bounce back as people go back to work in new positions after retraining and new education. Those coming into the work force for the first time after schooling will be prepared for different positions than what were available before.

You know the really freaky part about the far away galaxies? Some of them probably died before we ever saw their light. Most of us will die before we as a species ever see that far out. Makes you wonder what's out there to find.

Average consumer sales are down. Still a massive market for desktops with IT pros and gamers.

Virtualization and Thin clients are cutting into even the business market though. I can't argue with you on the gaming market though and there are some applications where thin clients are unlikely to ever be able to provide enough power like in engineering and some graphics related fields. It's not Autocad necessarily for engineering, though it can be a beast. It's the simulation software they run.

Personally, I'm not surprised to see PC sales decline. I feel like PCs were the pinnacle of pre-millennial technology. PCs will eventually phase out, just like the home telephone and cable TV did. So many millennials have never had either a cable subscription or a landline, and they see a PC as a virus prone device that does no more than their smartphone does. Children being born right now will grow up having never owned a PC.

And on the topic of AI... I actually agree with Obama here. AI will replace many low-level jobs (fast food, cashiers, customer service, etc.) in the foreseeable future. It's already happening. In some states that have passed the $15 minimum wage hike, fast food restaurants have replaced their cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Thats just the start. Granted, companies are doing this because it's cheaper than increasing their payroll threefold. But the fact is the technology to do it exists. As AI rises, other cost-reducing job-cuts will be made, including preparing and serving the food. Personally, I was never for this $15 minimum wage hike... there's no reason for a 16 year old who thinks "only cheese" means no meat should make more money than a firefighter. But people pushed and pushed and, guess what, you got what you asked for. Minimum wage went up, and your job was replaced by a machine.

Two quick points: 1) they would technically be making the same, not more (everyone's min goes up)2) statistically speaking most people working fast food are much older often 30+. The idea of the 16 year old burger flipper fighting for 15$/hr is largely a myth.

That being said, if they didn't see their jobs being replaced by machines that could do their job more cost effectively... well there's a reason they're stuck in fast food.

I think the most important issue moving forward here though is... in a time where we scream about unemployment rates rising a percentage point or two, what's going to happen when we replace all low level jobs with AI? This isn't going to suddenly make newer better jobs for the people who are now out of work. What do we do? We're poised right now to put a lot of attorneys, professional drivers (taxis, semis), most of the service industry and some doctors out of work (Watson, the AI on jeopardy? Yeah his day job is being the best doctor in the world, this is already a thing).

What do we do when a mass labor force is simply not necessary? It's kind of scary to me honestly. This isn't far future either, this is like, next 10 years future. Children being born today will probably never need to get a driver's licence, and unless their parent goes out of their way to teach them how to drive, will never learn to drive a car.

Ok, yes, if minimum wage goes up, then so does the pay of everyone who currently make less than what it will be, but it's still not balanced right. Fast food workers would then be making the same amount of money as a firefighter, if we are using my example. Again, that isn't right. Companies will increase everyone below $15 per hour to $15 per hour... so, if you are like a firefighter making say $12 per hour right now, and your kid makes $6 per hour, you'll be making the same amount of money after the hike... you won't be making more than your kid anymore. But that's not the point of my post... my point was that the minimum wage hike will entice businesses to replace employees with machines and AI because they can save money by using AI instead of human labor. $6 per hour for a drive-thru worker is affordable right now... but at $15, something big will have to change, and technology will be the answer for these businesses.

I do agree with you, however, that replacing jobs with technology will indeed be a huge catastrophe for the economy. Unemployment rates are going to skyrocket. Hell, even IT jobs will be on the chopping block. Nobody's job will be safe. We are headed into a future where everyone will need advanced electronics in order to interact with the everyday world, but nobody will be able to afford these electronics because they have no jobs.

I hate to be "that guy" who nitpicks the little details, but.... min wage nationally is 7.25 so if your kids are making $6 I've got some news about labor laws for you.

That being said, idk if that's really "right" or not. From an economic standpoint it's not, as you can demonstrably show how much someone's given contribution is in a lot of cases, and we see that in replacing their jobs with machines. If you meant morally right then we walk into a really gray area with no easy answers in my opinion. Why shouldn't someone who provides a service that hundreds of people will depend on to start their morning right (thinking Starbucks baristas) not make a wage capable of sustaining a decent life? Maybe not luxurious, but enough that they don't have to sweat bullets between paychecks if they're going to have a place to sleep.

If anything the fundamental issue here is that raw labor is becoming less valuable. Not that anyone is being evil and trying to oppress the masses but labor is demonstrably less valuable then it used to be. It's not an easy reality to face.

I just want to add to Shunt00213's argument here. We've been through this before and not everybody recognizes the fundamental similarities. This happened during the Industrial Revolution (even worse in Britain as some areas had as high as 75% unemployment). But you know what, everything bounced back after a while because while technology takes over, other jobs are created -- now you need more hardware and software developers as well as maintenance staff and sysadmins. The people and the economy will bounce back as people go back to work in new positions after retraining and new education. Those coming into the work force for the first time after schooling will be prepared for different positions than what were available before.